Metra Industries has begun a night paving schedule along Route 17 through Sloatsburg that is expected to run for the next three weeks.
Route 17 through Sloatsburg is many things – a local residential road, a siren of opportunity, an artery of transportation. And currently a mess of bumpy road due to sewer construction.
The ongoing Western Ramapo Sewer project throughout Sloatsburg has caused complaints about road conditions through Sloatsburg, culminating last week when the Village of Sloatsburg held a public meeting to air out questions and get answers from the Rockland County Sewer District #1 — representatives were also invited from NYS Department of Transportation and Metra Industries Inc., the contractor responsible for current Route 17 sewer construction and repaving.
The meeting was a result of continued Village efforts to take action on behalf of residents related to complaints about traffic delays along Route 17. Due to increasing traffic backup and construction issues, especially as Metra began trench paving, the NYS DOT granted Metra permission to work nights to complete repaving and patching along Route 17.
NYS DOT has expressed to the Village that a full Route 17 repaving through Sloatsburg is scheduled for 2017.
Additionally, Village of Sloatsburg Trustee and Deputy Mayor Peter Akey has been actively engaged in updating and informing residents via the Village Facebook page that he operates.
The night paving schedule is expected to run for the next three weeks, beginning between 7 and 8 p.m. each evening and finishing mornings between 6 and 7 a.m. The Metra Route 17 paving process will be done under direct supervision of the NYS DOT and its inspectors.
Metra will continue with daytime sewer construction throughout the village.
A combination of increasing complaints and traffic snarls along Route 17 through Sloatsburg, due to sewer construction, has led the NYS DOT to grant permission to Metra and Rockland County to continue paving at night to cut down the obstruction to traffic.
Although the Western Ramapo Sewer project is a Rockland County project, with specific oversight and direction given by the NYS DOT related to Route 17, Sloatsburg has come under fire by some residents for a perceived lack of project management and trouble shooting — though only a handful of people showed up for the Village meeting to air complaints.
Metra has come under particularly harsh and repeated scrutiny due to the quality of its sewer and paving work along Route 17 — the NYS DOT actually shut the road down in March for several days until Metra came into complete compliance with DOT road work specifications.
The company and sewer district have also had engagements with residents over access and right-of-way issues — the historic Robert and Mary McCready House (Westwind) had to take action to protect its featured yellow brick walkway and avoid portions of it being dismantled. Along Eagle Valley Road it appears that Metra is using a crushed glass and plastic as road and a site leveling fill along the sensitive Nakoma Brook wetlands area, with apparent Rockland County Sewer District approval.
While the Village may have benefited from appointing a resident Sewer Committee, the majority of any complaint might be better directed at the county and sewer district for any problems with communicating important and timely information to residents — who are helping to pay for the project and will be billed for yearly for services. Plus there’s that ever expensive hook-up fee homeowners have to out of pocket — many through piles of good old-fashioned Rockland rock.
For information or to contact both the Rockland County Sewer District, contact each at the following numbers: NYS DOT 1-845-634-4661 and RCSD #11-845-365-6111.
